Horizontally swinging auxiliary seat for barbers, dentists, and the like



1951 J. F. COOPER 2,565,595

HORIZONTALLY SWINGING AUXILIARY SEAT FOR BARBERS, DENTISTS AND THE LIKEFiled May 11, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F E 14 W 3 27 I l 2 IN V EN TOR.

(/6: 727951 C 0 ope?" ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED STATES'ATENT OFFICE HORIZONTALLY SWINGING AUXILIARY SEAT FOR BARBERS,DENTISTS, AND

THE LIKE 4 Claims. 1

My invention relates to a seat for a barber, a dentist or likespecialists, whose work requires him to stand virtually all during hisworking hours, and more specifically to a seat for such persons whosework is in conjunction with a patient or customer seated in a swivelchair. As is well known, such chairs are usually swiveled about, raisedor lowered to suit a given situation,

and the barber or dentist must move about correspondingly for the mostpart. Likewise, the barber or dentist must at times move relatively tothe swivel chair.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to providean improved seat for barbers, dentists and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved seat for usewith swivel chairs, a trackway mounting said seat for movement about aswivel chair relative thereto, said trackway comprising an overheadtrack concentrically disposed relative to the chair in vertically-spacedrelation.

' A further object is to provide an improved seat for use with a swivelchair which includes means for rotating the seat about the chairrelatively thereto and means for coupling the seat tothe chair forswivel movement therewith as a unit.

A further object is to provide improved means for suspending a seat fora swivel chair from an overhead track for the seat, which means includesmeans for varying the height of the seat relative to the track.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of theinvention, of the elements forming the same, combination and arrangementof such elements, and will be readily understood by those skilled in theart upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with thefollowing specification, wherein the invention is shown, described andclaimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the swivel chair, showing thepreferred form of the invention in operative association therewith;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof with parts broken away and shown inhorizontal section substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the chair with the hanger and track insection;

' Figure xi is a slightly enlarged fragmentary elevation showing adetail of the seat according to the invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view showing adetail.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference charactershave been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, itdesignates generally any suitable swivel chair, such as a barbers ordentists chair, which includes a pedestal ll swivelly and verticallyadjustably mounted in any suitable base i2. The base 12 is supported onany suitable horizontal surface, such as the floor [3. A ceiling Hi isprovided in vertically-spaced relation to the floor i3 above the chair[0.

As so far described, the structure is conventiona1 and forms no part ofthe present invention.

As best seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a substantially circular track l5comprises a pair of substantially circular inner and outer rails l6 andH, which are suspended in vertically-spaced relation to the ceiling Itby any suitable hangers [8. Any suitable fastening means, such as thebolts or lag screws I9, may be utilized to support the hangers l3 fromthe ceiling Id. The track 15 is disposed above the chair it invertically-spaced concentric relation relative thereto. The inner andouter rails I6 and I! are spaced apart slightly to provide asubstantially circular space or slot 2| therebetween. As is readilyapparent from Figure 2, the'rails l6 and i! have free ends 22 and 23which are slightly spaced apart to provide means for introducing acarriage, to be described later, onto the track provided by the rails Itand ii. Such free ends 22 and 23 are supported by slightly spacedhangers 28 from the ceiling Hi. When and if it is desirable to make thetrack l5 completely circular, arcuate rail segments 24 and 5 are placedbetween the free ends 22 and 23 to span the gaps therebetween, thesegments resting upon the hangers 25. These segments may be removed bylifting same from the hangers 2B and out of the gaps between the freeends 22 and 23 of the rails I6 and I1.

A carriage, generally indicated at 26, is supported by the track l5 androlls on the rails l6 and ll thereof. The carriage 26 is substantiallysimple in form and comprises an axle 2i having wheels 28 journaled onopposite ends thereof for rolling engagement with the rails l6 and i1under the same. A support 29 which may comprise a depending shaft fixedto the axle 21 is provided and the lower end of such support ispreferably formed to provide a substantially spherical knob 30. A casingcomprising separable sections 3| and 32 partially encircles the knob 30to provide therewith a universal joint. The sections 3| and 32 aredetachably connected together in any usual and/ or well known manner. Astem 33 is fixed to the lower joint-providing L2 section 3| and dependstherefrom. The lower end of the stem 33 has fixed thereto a cross-shaftor cross-arm 34. A pair of pulleys 35 are journaled on each end of thecross-shaft 34 for a purpose to be described later.

A seat, generally indicated at 36, is provided for a barber or dentistand comprises a seatproviding portion '31, a back rest 38 and a footrest 39. .A forward portion of the seat portion 3'! is provided with atransverse shaft 40, the outer ends of which extend laterally outwardlyof such portion 37. Pulleys 4| and .42 are journaled on such free endsof the shaft-40 toreceive flexible suspension members 43 and '44.Likewise, side portions of the seat portion 31 are provided with eyes 41to secure one end of the flexible suspension members 43 and 44 to theseat 36. Likewise, lateral end portions of the upper part of the backrest 38 are formed to provideeyesAB through which such flexiblesuspension members .extend upwardly. As is readily seen in Figures 1,

2 and3, the suspension member 43 extends upwardly throughthe-left-handeye 45 over the innermost left-hand pulley 35 on the shaft 34,

.downwardlyover the left-hand pulley 42 .of the shaft 40, and thenupwardly over the outer lefthand pulley 35 andterminates in adownwardly- .directed free end. As best seen in Figures 1 and .5, asuitable brake46 is fixed to the shaft 34 in the region of the outermostpulley 35and has teeth on one side thereof frictionally'engaging theflexible suspension member 43 whenv a load is imposed on the seat tolock the suspension member against movement over the several pulleys.Such brake .ABmay-be manually released to permit lowering of the seat.36 to a desired adjusted height. To raise the seat, however, it is onlynecessary to" pull down on the free ends of the flexiblemembers .43 and44, whereby the seatis raised. Release of such free ends re-engages thebrake 4.6 and locks the seat in an adjusted verti- .calposition.

Referring now to Figure 4, it is seen thatthe front central portion oftheseatportion 31 .is

provided with a pivoted depending socket 48 which slidably andadjustably receives the upwardly-directed stem ofa forwardly-extendingconnector arm .50. "The arm .50 terminates forwardly inadownwardly-directedhook the purpose of which will be describedpresently. The, stem 49 is adjustable vertically in the socket 148 andmaintained in verticallyeadjusted relation by any suitable means, suchas a set screw 60 orlike well knownlockingmeans. As best seen in .Figure'l, the seat portion of the chair [0 is provided witha circumferential.series of eyes 52 which are adapted to detachably-receive the hook 151of the connector arm .53, whereby theseat 36 maybe connected to thechair If! for swiveling action therewithas a unit. The vertical adjustedconnection between the arm .50 and the seat 36 permits compensation forvertical adjustmentsof the chair lfi relative tothe' base [2 thereof..As best seen inFiguresland. 2, thearms and back rest of the chair 19are likewiseprovided with a circumferential series of eyes .53 which areadapted to receive thehook'5l in the eventofthe major verticaladjustment .of the seati36 relative to the chair H] which is too greatto be compensated for by the adjustment of thestem-49 in the socket 48.

Inoperation, it is obvious that .with the connector arm 50 disconnected.the .barberor. dentist maybe freely movable about the. chair l-llrelative thereto on the track l'5. Atthe same timawhen it is desirablefor the occupant of the seat 36 to move with the chair I0 as the same isswiveled in the base I2, the connector arm is connected to a suitableeye 52 or 53 in accordance with the desired position, and the seat andchair thereafter moved as a unit. B providing an overhead track [5, thefloor of the shop or ofiice is not impeded by a circular track and theseat 36 is free to move over obstacles on the floor 13.

It should be noted that the forward portion of -.the seat-providing part31 is provided with a pair of laterally-spaced and forwardly-directedend notches54. Such portion 37 is likewise provided with an intermediateforwardly-directed notch 55. Any suitable spindle 56 extendstransversely across the forward portion of the seat portion .31 andextends across the notches 54 and 55 aforesaid. The upper ends of thelegs 51 of the foot rest 39.are pivoted on the spindle 56 within the endnotches 54. Thus,the foot rest 39 is swingable from .the fulllineposition, Figure 4, to the brokenline position where it restsatoptheframe of the seat 38. Likewise, the socket 48 for the stem v49 of thearm 50 has its upper end pivoted .on the spindleifi intheintermediatenotch=55.

Thus, the socket 48, togetherwith the arm 5!], is swingable from thefull lineposition to the broken line position, Figure 4, where itoverlies the seatproviding portion3'l of the seat and is retained in thebroken line position-by the weight of the connector arm 59. Thus, whenthe foot rest and arm 50 are not in use, they may be folded to theinoperativeposition shown in broken lines, Figure 4.

While I have shown: and described what is now thought to be a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same issusceptible of other formsand expressions. Consequently, it is not myintention to limit myself to the precise structure shown and describedhereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination .with a swivelchair, of a circular overhead trackconcentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, awheeled carriage rotatable on said track, a support carried by saidcarriage and depending therefrom, suspensionmeans carriedby saidsupport, a seatcarried by said suspension means, and means for readily.detachably connecting said seat to said chair forswivelmovement.therewith as-a unit.

2. The combination .with .a swivel chair, of a circular .overhead trackconcentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, awheeled carriage rotatable on said track, a supportcarried by saidcarriage and dependingtherefrom, suspensionmeans carried by saidsupport, a seat carried by said suspension means'a connector arm carried.by. said seat and extending forwardly thereof toward saidchair, saidarm having an inner free endformedto-provide a hook, said chairbeingprovided with a circumferential series of eyes, and said hook beingadapted to bedetachabl-y secured to a selected one of said eyestocouple-saidseat and chair together for swiveling movement as a unit.

.13. The combination with a swivel chair, of a circular overhead trackconcentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, awheeled. carriage rotatable. on .said 1 track, a support carried by saidcarriage and depending therefrom, a. seat. arranged in-spacedrelationwith'respect to said chain-aconnectorarm carried by r saidseatand -extending ,forw.ardly thereof "toward said chair, said armhaving an inner free end formed to provide ahook, said chair beingprovided with a circumferential series 10f eyes, said hook being adaptedto be detachably ecured to a selected one of said eyes to couple saidseat and chair together for swiveling movement as a unit, and suspensionmeans connected tO'said seat and carried by said support for adjustingsaid seat vertically relative to said track.

4. The combination with a swivel chair, of a circular overhead trackconcentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, awheeled carriage rotatable on saidtrackfa support carried by saidcarriage and depending therefrom, a seat arranged in spaced relationwith re- 15 3 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 61,395 Carpenter Jan. 22, 18071,941,907 Martin Jan. 2, 1934 Bunker Aug. 21, 1934

